Binding loading fixture



April 21, 1970 T. R. SMITH 3,507,601

BINDING LOADING FIXTURE Filed Oct. 20, 1966 2 Sheets-$heet 1 l 1 1 56 INVENTOR. 55 THOMAS R. SM'TH AT'TOR N EY T. R. SMITH BINDING LOADING FIXTURE A ril 21, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Oct. 20, 1966 R O T N E V N THOMAS R. SMITH I ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,507,601 BINDING LOADING FIXTURE Thomas R. Smith, 27A Brushy Hill Road, Newtown, Conn. 06470 Filed Oct. 20, 1966, Ser. No. 588,686 Int. 'Cl. B42f 13/02, 3/00; B42c 19/00 U.S. Cl. 4028 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for loading sheets in a binder that includes a cover formed with pairs of spaced holes therein through which flexible binder strips are adapted to be threaded for locking the sheets in the binder, the device including a base on which the binder cover is positioned in oriented relation and having transverse grooves formed therein in spaced relation, guide elements being fixed to the base and extending upwardly through the grooves for projection thereabove and defining guides for the threading of the binder strips through the holes in the sheets as they are loaded onto the binder cover.

The present invention relates to improvements in binder cover loading and more particularly to an improved binder loading fixture.

Of late binders have been developed in which a binder cover is employed which has a series of pair of holes formed therein. A binder loop is formed by an elongate flat plastic strip having a head so as to simulate a flat nail. The strip is threaded through the pair of holes and paper to be bound and then back through the pair of holes for securement and adjustment. In such binders, the threading operation can be diflicult and it has become desirable to facilitate such operation for economic reasons.

Accordingly, is is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved binder cover loading fixture which will facilitate loading of binder covers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved binder cover loading fixture wherein threading of the binder loop through holes in the cover is guided so as to expedite loading.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved binder loading fixture whereby flexible ringforming strips can be threaded through coplanar holes in a binder cover merely by directing the strips through one hole of a pair.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved binder cover loading fixture which is easily used, economical to manufacture, lightweight and inexpensive.

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent from the detailed description to follow.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View showing the loading fixture of the present invention with a binder cover in position for loading;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the fixture per se;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the fixture with a binder cover ready for loading;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a binder cover with which the fixture is utilized;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 5-5 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 66 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of binder cover loading fixture;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 8-8 in FIGURE 7.

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Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals apply to like parts throughout, it will be seen that I have provided an improved binder cover loading fixture 10 for binder covers 12.

The binder cover 12 is comprised of a folder cover 14 of any desired material, such as cardboard or plastic material, and has a series of fold lines formed therein at 16 so as to enable the cover to be folded in half to provide front and rear cover portions 18, 20, respectively. The rear cover portion 20 has three sets of two holes each, as at 22, 24; 26, 28; and 30, 32, the holes being laterally aligned but coplanar in the cover. Of course, the number of sets can be varied as desired.

The binder loops are provided by the strips 34, which are identical in design. Elongate flat strips of plastic having enlarged heads at 36 form flat nail-like elements which can be threaded through the sets of holes as will be described.

The fixture 10 comprises an elongated member formed by flat board 38 of any suitable selected material preferably rectangular in shape. A second thickness of stock 40 is bonded or otherwise joined to the board along the working edge thereof at 42. The pieces 38, 40 could be integrally molded from plastic. The piece 40 is formed with three slots 0r grooves 44, 46, 48 corresponding to the holes 22, 24; 26, 28; 30, 32, in spacing. Also, the slots or grooves are as wide as the diameter of the holes. The grooves are as deep as the piece 40 and open out at the edge 50 thereof.

The piece 38 has three pairs of holes therein aligned with the slots 44, 46, 48, as at 52, 54 in FIGURE 5. A recess 56 joins the holes 52, 54 on the underside of piece 38.

A series of flexible tongues 58, 60, 62 are anchored in the grooves 44, 46, 48, respectively. The tongues are similar to the strips 34 and preferably formed of plastic or flexible metal strips. The tongues have heads as at 64. An anchor strap 66 with three apertures 68, 70, 72 spaced according to the spacing of grooves 44, 46, 48, is positioned over piece 40 and the three tongues 58, 60, 62 are inserted through the respective apertures, down through the respective grooves and holes, 52, across recess 56 and up through hole 54. The tongue free ends upwardly and outwardly incline as shown in FIGURE 2.

The fixture can have the tongues otherwise anchored. It is now ready for usage.

The binder cover 12 is positioned over the fixture 10 and the three tongues 58, 60, 62 are engaged through the holes 24, 28 and 32, or the right hand hole of each pair in the cover. Next, a strip 34 is directed downwardly through each of the left hand holes 22, 26, 30 as shown in FIGURE 1, and as seen in FIGURE 5, the end of the strip will automatically be upwardly directed through the other hole of the pair.

The sheets S to be bound can then have the strips 34, passed through their punch holes.

Next the strips are arcuated rearwardly and reengaged through the left hand holes 22, 26, 30 of the pairs of holes and beneath the heads 36. Again the strips will be guided out through holes 24, 28, 32 as shown in FIG- URES l and 6. The size ring as at R can be varied according to the bulk of S, as will be obvious.

Finally the binder cover is merely lifted from the fixture and the tongues 58, 60, 62 will simply retract from the holes in the cover. The fixture is now ready to use in loading another cover.

In the embodiment of FIGURES 7 and 8, the fixture 10 can be fabricated from metal or plastic or combinations thereof. The fixture includes a planar plate 73 of sufficient elongate length to accommodate the edge of a binder cover. The plate is of rectangular shape and has right-angularly upturned edges at 74, 76 against which corresponding edges of a binder cover can be abutted as will be described hereinafter.

Along the side edge opposite upturned edge 76, an elongated plate 78 is positioned. The plate has three slots or grooves 80, 82 and 84 formed therein at spacings equal to the spacings of holes 22, 24; 26, 28; and 30, 327 The grooves are of a width adapted to cooperate with the strips 34, as above described.

The tongues 86, 88, 90 are of spring metal stock the width of grooves 80, 82, 84 and have 'widened ends as at 92 seated beneath the plate 78 while the free ends project through the grooves and are upwardly directed on an inclined plane by engagement with the groove end wall at 94.

The cover plate 96 is joined to plate 73 by hinge 98, one flange 100 of which is secured by rivets 102 to the cover plate and the other flange 104 of which is secured by rivets 106 through plate 78 to plate 73. The rivets 106 also pass through the enlarged heads 92 of the tongues for secure anchoring thereof.

When the fixture is not in use the cover is pivoted over to cover the tongues and rests on the inclined edge 108 of side edge 74.

When used, the fixture receives a binder cover thereon with edges thereof abutting the edges 74, 76 of the fixture. This positions the holes 24, 28, 32 of the cover exactly for entry of the tongues 86, 88, 90 (see the dotted line cover in FIGURE 8). Next the contents S are engaged on the tongue, as shown. Then the strips 34 can be inserted as in the above embodiment and will engage in the respective groove and be upwardly directed by the tongue therein so as to pass through the fillers S, also as shown. Completion of the loop or ring is as above described and then the binder cover is simply removed by lifting from the fixture, as will be obvious.

Accordingly, it is believed that I have provided an improved binder cover loading fixture which fulfills the objects hereinbefore enumerated.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claim rather than by the description preceding it, and all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claim or that form their functional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents, are therefore intended to be embraced by the claim.

I claim:

1. In a device for loading a plurality of sheets in a binder, wherein the binder includes at least one cover that is formed with pairs of spaced holes therein and flexible binder strips are threadably received in said holes for locking said sheets in said binder, a base having a generally planular surface to which an upstanding wall is joined along an edge thereof, said wall receiving a binder thereagainst during a loading operation for orienting the binder in a loading position, an elongated plate joined to said base adjacent an edge thereof and extending in perpendicular relation with respect to said wall, a plurality of elongated spaced grooves formed in said plate and extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said plate and parallel to said wall, a plurality of flexible guides secured to said base, an end of each guide being concealed beneath said plate and fixed to said base, each of said guides extending along the bottom of a groove for substantially the length thereof and then extending upwardly in an inclined direction at the end of the groove that is located furthest away from the second named edge of said surface, each guide terminating in a guiding surface for a binding strip that is threaded through a pair of said holes in said binder cover when said sheets are located therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,129,604 9/1938 Catini. 2,273,824 2/ 1942 Barrett.

3,276,450 lO/l966 Pelezzare. 2,550,597 4/1951 Phillips.

FOREIGN PATENTS 744,759 2/ 195 5 Great Britain.

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner 

